Whether you are a commuter or a leisure cyclist, there’s no doubt that folding electric bikes have a lot to offer! If your commute involves a train journey but your workplace is a couple of miles from the nearest train station or bus stop, then having a folding ebike can save you time and money (on taxi fares).

Folding electric bike buyers guide

Folding ebikes are like traditional folding bicycles with the added bonus of electric assist. They can usually be folded up in a matter of minutes, and can be easily taken on public transport to enable you to travel the last mile or two to work with ease! Below I have listed some of the technical terms and what they mean.

Pedal assist: This means the electric motor will only give you assistance when you start pedalling. There is usually a small plastic ring with 5-12 magnets mounted on the crank axle and a sensor that senses rotation of the pedal crank.

Throttle: This is usually a twist or thumb throttle. Electric bikes fitted with a throttle can be ridden without having to pedal – most electric bikes will have pedal assist and throttle control – please note: a throttle that can power an ebike without the need for pedalling is illegal in some countries (depending on certain conditions).

Power output: The power output in watts relates to the amount of work an electric motor can perform. To clarify things a little, 750 wattts = 1 horsepower. In all European countries and Australia , the current maximum allowed is 250w with the exception of pedalecs that are rated L1e-A (in the UK). This new category allows for pedal assist bicycles producing up to 1000w of power, but being limited to a top speed of 15.5mph (25 km/h). These ebikes need to be type approved for use, but do not require a driving licence, road tax or insurance.

Battery: Most batteries used on folding electric bikes are either 36 volt or 48 volt. The higher the ‘Ah’ rating the greater the energy capacity and therefore the greater the range. For example a 36v 10ah battery would have a total energy capacity of 360 watt hours (36v x 10ah = 360Wh). If you were consuming 10Wh per mile the your battery should in theory last 36 miles. This mileage would vary depending on the power used, weight of the rider and the terrain ridden on.

So what should I look for in a good folding electric bike?

This is very subjective and depends on your own personal needs / requirements. The main criteria that make a good folding ebike are as follows:

Ease of transport: Since the whole point of buying a folding electric bike is ease of transport, then it is worth considering not only how quickly and easily it folds up, but also the weight. Electric bikes are considerably heavier than their conventional counterparts, mainly due to the added weight of the battery, motor and other ancillary components.

Power output: Since most folding electric bikes are usually used for town or city riding. Power output isn’t as crucial as on regular ebikes. 250-500w is usually more than enough power for short distance city commutes.

Battery range: As above, battery range isn’t as important on a folding electric bike as they are usually used for short distance commutes or getting from public transport to places of work.

Accessories: Most folding electric bikes are used for commuting, so if your bike has mudguards, lights, pannier rack and front suspension, this will make life easier for the daily commuter.

All the bikes featured below have been selected on a number of factors:

The Swagtron Swagcycle EB5 folding electric bike simply offers the best value on this list. If you are looking for a cheap and ‘no-frills’ means of getting to your destination, then this is the bike for you.

The 250w rear hub motor with pedal assist will give a range of around 12-15 miles from the integrated 36v lithium battery pack. Not a particularly good range, but at this price point it is acceptable. As long as you are aware of the limited range it shouldn’t pose a problem.

Running out of battery power will however be problematic unless you live in a totally flat area, as this bike will be incredibly difficult to pedal up hill without e-assist. It is only a single speed, which is fine (and it keeps the cost down), but if you live in a hilly area, I would recommend a bike with at least 6 or 7 gears at the back.

Conclusion

All in all this is an excellent value folding electric bike. The 250w hub motor is lively enough on the flat, but be prepared to put in a bit of effort on the hills. The top assisted speed is 15 mph and total weight is approximately 37lbs – which some people may find a bit too heavy for carting around on public transport.

Ancheer ebikes are another well-known budget electric bike brand, I have reviewed and ridden their ebikes in the past and they always do what they say on the tin! Cheap and cheerful electric bikes with a reasonable specification.

I personally think it represents excellent value, especially when you consider the competition in this price bracket. Mudguards, lights, pannier rack, disc brakes and kick-stand are all included – making this a bike that is ready for anything!

The 250w hub motor works as expected and the pedal assist is responsive enough. As with all these small hub motors, tackling steep hills is always going to be a struggle, but as long as you are willing to put a bit of effort in, you will get up them.. eventually!

The build quality is okay, and the components do the job. The battery has a range of between 15-30 miles depending on the amount of electric assist used, rider weight and terrain ridden on.

A comfy saddle and basic front suspension fork help soak up bumps in the road, and the tyres are chunky enough for some light trail riding.

Conclusion

The Ancheer electric folding bike is certainly good value for money, plus it has all the mod cons you will ever need on a bike. The 250w motor will give assistance up to 15 mph and the battery has enough energy capacity for commuting.

As with all the bikes featured here, the weight is a little on the heavy side at 50 lbs, but overall I think it’s a decent folding ebike for the money and if it fits your budget the Ancheer is one of the better ones on offer.

Swagtron make a whole range of personal electric vehicles, from hoverboards through to electric scooters. Their Swagger Classic folding electric bike fills a litte gap in the market for a minimalist (and tiny) folding ebike at a very affordable price.

This bike doesn’t have any pedals, so can only be use with throttle control. The small 250w motor gives enough power for around 15mph, and the battery should give a range of about 10 miles.

Conclusion

The Swagtron Swagger classic is the most compact and transportable folding ebike in this selection. It is small, lightweight but has enough power and battery range to complement your daily commute.The mechanical disc brakes work fine and you also get lights. An IOS or Andriod app is also available to use with bluetooth connectivity.

For the price, if you are looking for a very small, easy to carry folding electric bike, the Swagger Classic is a great way to get around. It’s not really suitable for the larger rider though.

The Fiido folding ebike is the one of the bikes in this selection that ticks all the right boxes. It is relatively lightweight (by comparison) at 43lbs, and can be folded quickly to a small easily transportable size.

This bike is also very well equipped for the price. With mechanical disc brakes, 16″ wheels, kickstand, lights, fenders and a rear suspension shock.

The motor is a regular 250w geared hub motor with a 36v 7.8ah battery which should give you a range of around 20 miles on the flat.

Conclusion

If you do not live in a hilly area and are after a cheap folding electric bike to get you quickly from A to B then the Fiido is hard to beat at this price. I would not recommend this for commutes with steep hills as the bike only has a single gear. It is comfortable, folds quickly and easily and is just the right size. Definitely one of the best value folding ebikes in this selection.

The Ancheer folding electric mountain bike offers the best of both worlds – a folding ebike that has full-sized 26″ wheels and decent sized from. Obviously this makes it heavier and not as easy to transport as other bikes in this group, but for the money it is an excellent buy.

The Ancheer benefits from front suspension forks, mechanical disc brakes, fenders, horn, lights and a kick stand. Making it a good budget option.

The 250w hub motor is the same motor used on their popular Ancheer Pro electric mountain bike and the small 36v8ah lithium battery pack is neatly mounted in a handlebar bag.

Weight is around 60 lbs, so be aware of this if you are planning on carrying it anywhere. Also as it is a full-sized bike it is quite bulky even when folded.

Conclusion

Generally the Ancheer folding electric bike has good customer reviews, with the only complaints being unsuitability for larger riders and the brakes are not as good as they could be. But as far as value for money is concerned, if you just need a cheap full size folding electric mountain bike the Ancheer has little in the way of competition.

Nakto are well known for producing decent affordable electric bikes, and their 250w folding ebike is no exception.

The Nakto 20″ wheel 250w folding electric bike has an excellent specification for the money. The 250w geared rear hub motor is powered by a decent 36v10ah Lithium battery pack, which will give you a range of around 25 miles. The small 250w hub motor has enough power to comfortably maintain between 15-20 mph on the flat and the display allows for varying levels of pedal assist, or if you don’t feel like pedalling there is a throttle.

This little bike has all the extras you will ever need for the daily commute including front and rear fenders, pannier rack, headlight and kickstand. It really is one of the best value folding bikes in this selection.

Conclusion

The Nakto 250w folding ebike is hard to beat for the money. If you are after a cheap folding electric bike, that does the job well, then look no further. The motor is more than adequate at dealing with small hills, but be prepared to put in some effort on steeper hills.

It folds down quickly and easily for transportation, but it is definitely on the heavy side at 60lbs (including battery).

Best Folding fat tire folding electric bikes

Fat tire folding electric bikes are usually more powerful than their conventional counterparts. One of the main reasons for purchasing a fat tire bike is for all-terrain use.

Traditional folding ebikes are just fine for riding city streets, but take them off the beaten track and they quickly show their limitations.

Fat tire bikes on the other hand are designed specifically with off-road riding in mind, and the large tires with low pressure make travelling on a variety of surfaces a breeze! Fat tire folding bikes can be ridden on terrain as diverse as sand, mud and snow.

The only downside with fat tire folding electric bikes, is they are usually very heavy and bulky (when folded). This makes it difficult to carry them on public transport.

Personally, if I was going to purchase a folding ebike, I would definitely go for a fat tire version, simply because of the more powerful motors and the versatility.

Like all of the Ecotric range of electric bikes, this fat tire folding ebike offers not only excellent value for money, but also a powerful 500w geared electric hub motor and decent 36v 12ah battery pack.

This really is a cracking little bike for the money, the 500w motor has ample power, and will give you a top speed of 20mph on throttle only (on the flat) and a little bit more if you are pedalling. The battery also has a very respectable range of between 20-35 miles depending on how much you use the electric motor.

The bike itself feels solid, and combined with the fat tires has a very rugged look about it. The weight of approximately 52 lbs means that it may not be suitable for some people to carry around on public transport, but if you are after a bike you can just chuck in your vehicle to take into the hills for a blast, then it is excellent.

The electric motor has 3 levels of pedal assist and throttle-only control, so you don’t even need to pedal it on the flat, but you will need to give the motor some help on steeper hills.

Conclusion

This has to be one of the best folding electric bikes available at this price, it ticks all the boxes – decent power and battery range, decent brakes and the versatility to take off road or onto the beach. A big thumbs-up!

The DJ 750w 48v folding fat tire bike is priced at the higher end of the scale, but you still get a lot of bike for your money.

Folding ebikes are all about practicality and versatility and the DJ has it all!

Not only is this a very capable bike, with excellent performance from the 750w geared hub motor. But it is incredibly practical for things like shopping – the front and rear racks are just big enough to be fitted with small panniers or bags for carrying shopping or other items. Very handy if you are planning on getting away from it all for a few hours.

The excellent Bafang 750w geared rear hub motor has a peak power output of 1000w and the 48v13ah battery will ensure a range of at least 20 miles (throttle only) and up to 50 miles using the pedal assist.

This bike really flies along and the high torque motor will cope all but the steepest of hills with ease. If you live in a fairly flat area you don’t even need to pedal and the DJ will carry you along comfortably at 20mph without the need for pedalling.

Folding bikes aren’t always known for their comfort, but the DJ excels. Fat tires, front suspension forks and a decent gel saddle complemented by a suspension seat post make for a very plush ride!

Conclusion

I think the DJ is one of the best folding ebikes for the money. Sure, it’s not the cheapest, but it has all the features and accessories you will ever need on a folding bike. The fact that it can carry cargo is a plus and the level of equipment is excellent!

The 48v 750w Bafang motor is durable – these motors will handle up to 1500w with the right controller / battery combination.

The only negative point is the heavy weight of 57lbs, but this is to be expected of any ebike with this specification folding or otherwise.

I’m giving the DJ a big thumbs-up – it’s definitely not the cheapest folding electric bike in this selection, but it has the highest specification.

Now here we have an interesting little bike! The Ride Scoozy Veego is at the pricier end of the scale, but it is a cracking little bike, that is powered by a high torque Bafang 48v 500w rear hub motor and 48v 13ah Lithium battery.

This is another solid, and well-built folding fat tire ebike. Sure, it’s not as cheap as others in this selection but the specification is very respectable – disc brakes, mudguards, lights, pannier rack and a nice multi-function LCD display with 5 levels of pedal assist.

The 48v 13ah battery pack will give you a potential assisted range of 45 miles (using pedal assist). If you prefer not to pedal too much and rely on the throttle, then you can expect that range to drop to around 20 miles.

The Bafang 500w geared hub motor is the industry standard for durability and efficiency, and provides plenty of power as and when needed. Another great feature of this motor is when it is switched off, the bike can be pedalled as normal without any increase in resistance.

Conclusion

The Scoozy Veego folding ebike looks the part with its choice of great colors and more importantly, it does the job well. The motor, battery and all the components come together to form an excellent bike that is equally at home on the beach, tarmac or even snow!

Everything on this bike works well and it is great fun to ride. Negative points? Well the only one that keeps cropping up with a lot of these bikes is the weight. The Veego is no exception and at approximately 60 lbs is the heaviest of the bunch. This shouldn’t be a problem unless you are going to be carting it around on public transport all the time.

As far as riding it is concerned, it is up there with the best of them. The Bafang motor is a proven power plant and the power available will be more than adequate for most needs.

I like this bike! I like the specification, I like the look. I think the customer reviews speak for themselves. It is definitely one of the best folding ebikes on this list.

The Addmotor Motan 48v 500w 20″ fat tire folding ebike, like its bigger brother comes in a really eye-catching color scheme. And like its larger sibling it has an incredibly solid, well-built feel to it.

Power is provided by he excellent Bafang 48v geared hub motor – these motors are renowned for their durability. The 500w nominal power output will peak at around 750w, and the 48v 10.4ah battery should be enough for a range of between 20-40 miles, depending on how much power is used.

It can be ridden on throttle only, or used as pedal assist with 4 different levels available from the generic LCD display. Other information like battery range, speed and power output is also displayed.

Conclusion

The Motan 48v 500w fat tire folding ebike will make a fun ride, for going to the beach, or even riding in snow. The motor has a 22A controller, so peak power will be in excess of 750w, giving most riders more than enough power for a top speed approaching 25 mph.

All the usual accessories are included in the price, like headlight, metal fenders, mechanical disc brakes, kick-stand and a sturdy luggage rack, making the Motan a really versatile all-rounder.